5 Things To Know: ASML Sales Decline, LVMH Growth, AI Policy, and Apple Manufacturing

Business and Market Updates

• 📉 ASML anticipates a significant sales decline in China for the upcoming year, though overall 2026 net sales are not expected to drop from current levels.
• 📈 LVMH reported a 1% growth in its most recent quarter, marking a recovery after two consecutive quarters of decline.
• 🍎 Apple is reportedly planning to scale up manufacturing outside of China, with Bloomberg indicating that its home command hub, security cameras, and a tabletop robot will be produced in Vietnam.

Economic Outlook and Interest Rates

• 💡 Boston Fed President Susan Collins believes that rising job market risks support the case for further interest rate cuts.

OpenAI's Policy Changes

• 🤖 OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that adult ChatGPT users will soon have access to a less censored version of the chatbot, including erotic materials.
• ⚠️ This change is part of OpenAI's effort to ramp up protections and age-gating, allowing them to safely relax restrictions for verified adult users.
• 💬 Discussions around relaxing rules for mental health topics were also mentioned, as OpenAI believes they have addressed issues related to conversations about suicide and other sensitive subjects.
• 🔞 The company's principle of treating adult users like adults will allow more erotica for verified users, a move that raises questions about potential misuse and increased electricity demand.
• 🧐 The transcript highlights confusion and skepticism regarding how OpenAI will verify users' mental stability and the implications of these policy shifts.